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Apr 10, 2013 Australia’s No.1 Automotive Industry Journal No. 673 70,000 Readers Weekly 

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Glass’s - The Auto Specification 

and Residual Value Specialists 

Holden on 

knife edge 

Production rate slashed, 500 jobs cut in manufacturing and product development 

By HAITHAM RAZAGUI 

GM HOLDEN will slow production 

at its Elizabeth plant in South Australia 

from 400 cars per day to 335, with the 

loss of 400 jobs, while a further 100 

hourly positions will go in Victoria. 

The Victorian jobs will be lost across 

pre-production workers at Fishermens 

Bend in Melbourne and validation staff 

at the Lang Lang proving ground in 

Gippsland. 

Recent Holden redundancies are 

stacking up, as the latest round of cuts 

come just months after it shed a total of 

270 production jobs last year, with 170 

in November and 100 in February. 

This is despite Holden having 

received almost $2 billion in 

government assistance since 2001 to 

help it stay competitive against imports. 

The cuts and production slowdown 

come as Holden prepares to launch 

the heavily updated, much anticipated 

VE Commodore and is in the midst of 

rolling out a revised and repriced Cruze 

small car, both of which are built in 

Australia. 

Just 1606 Commodores were sold 

last month, slipping 40.2 per cent yearon-year 

and dropping out of the top 10 

for the first time in its 34-year history, 

while Cruze sales fell 19 per cent to 

2335 units. 

Holden blames the production cuts on 

the high Australian dollar and reduced 

demand for the Cruze in particular rather 

than Commodore, two factors which 

are linked as importers are making the 

most of exchange rates to aggressively 

price and specify competing products. 

Announcing the cuts on Monday, 

company chairman and managing 

director Mike Devereux described 

the Australian automotive industry as 

“heavily trade exposed”. 

“The appreciation of the currency 

means that making things in this 

country is 60 per cent more expensive 

than it was 10 years ago. The currency 

is the strongest it’s been in more than 

30 years,” he said. 

“We have made significant 

productivity gains but are witnessing 

a structural shift in the Australian 

market which favours importers due 

to a sustained high Australian dollar 

and extremely low tariffs. This perfect 

storm of economic conditions has put 

intense pressure on the local industry. 

“The Holden Cruze and Commodore 

continue to be successful despite our 

challenging market – they are both still 

top 10 selling cars – but the value of 

the dollar and the currency plays being 

made by other countries mean we are 

not competing on a level playing field, 

even in our own backyard. 

Continued next page 

INSIDE 

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Holden on knife edge 

Continued from previous page 

“Not only are we challenged to 

compete locally, but high volume 

export opportunities are not possible 

due to the strength of the Aussie dollar 

and the measures other countries take 

to fiercely protect their own local 

automotive industry.” 

Mr Devereux also attributed job cuts 

of product development staff – who 

work on international GM projects as 



PUBLISHER: John Mellor 

EDITOR: Terry Martin 

MANAGING EDITOR: Mike Costello 

JOURNALISTS: Barry Park, Tim Nicholson, Byron 

Mathioudakis, Haitham Razagui, Ian Porter 

PRODUCTION: Luc Britten, Ian James 

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Cruze production 

well as internal ones for Holden – to the 

high Aussie dollar. 

“We are competing globally for work 

with a historically high Australian 

dollar. This means we are now one of 

the most expensive engineering centres 

for GM in the world. We simply can’t 

secure the necessary workload to 

maintain our current hourly product 

development workforce,” he said. 

Holden says voluntary separation 

packages will be offered and that those 

affected by the cuts will be offered 

financial counselling and help finding 

alternative work. 

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE 

Auto funding not ‘wasted’ – next page 

KOREAN TENSIONS NOT IMPACTING 

HOLDEN – YET: CLICK HERE 

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We’re not happy until you are. 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 2 

SA premier, union anger 

at latest Holden job cuts 


GM HOLDEN’S announcement it will 

cut its workforce by 500, with 400 of those 

at the Elizabeth manufacturing plant in 

Adelaide, has raised the ire of unions and 

South Australian premier Jay Weatherill. 

Mr Weatherill lashed out at Holden, 

claiming the latest round of job cuts are 

in breach of the car-maker’s agreement 

with the SA government for a $50 

million contribution to the government 

co-investment guaranteeing local 

manufacturing until at least 2022. 

In an interview with the ABC, Mr 

Weatherill said the SA government’s 

agreement with Holden included 

a “commitment to minimum 

employment levels”. 

“That’s been breached by the 

announcement that’s been made 

today,” he said. “Suffice to say the 

400 reduction announced today brings 

it below those levels.” 

SA Unions labelled Holden a 

“shocking corporate citizen”, with 

state secretary Janet Giles describing 

the job cuts as “a breach of faith with 

Australians who have supported the 

car-maker for decades”. 

“Holden took money from South 

Australian taxpayers and then just tore 

up the agreement.” 

But in a media conference call 

on Monday, Holden chairman and 

managing director Mike Devereux said 

the company did not yet have a contract 

with the SA government and that in any 

case, the money was not planned to be 

received until after 2016. 

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE



www.automotivepersonnel.com.au 


Auto funding not ‘wasted’ 

More car industry job cuts 

inevitable but government 

support justified: Kim Carr 

COMMENT 

By KIM CARR 

GIVEN the state of the Australian 

dollar, further lay-offs in the auto 

industry are, unfortunately, inevitable. 

The industry needs to reshape and 

buffer itself against the highest dollar 

since 1983, and very high government 

subsidies in competing markets. 

This does not mean that support for 

the industry is wasted. 

Last week, Holden chose to disclose 

the funding it has received from 

government over the past 12 years. 

And it got the economics club’s pulse 

racing. Nothing gets them going more 

than auto investment. 

I’ve yet to see the same arguments 

applied to wheat, or sheep, or resources 

– sectors which benefit far more from 

public funding than auto. 

Let’s start with the claim that this is 

money poured on sand – a sop to some 

nostalgic rev-head dream. 

The fact that a country with some 

of the highest terms of trade in the 

world can still make export-class cars 

is phenomenal. We are more than just 

a mine, and our skills run deep. It is 

all the more remarkable when we put 

Australia’s investments in context. 

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The best available estimate of the 

cost for Australians is about $US18 

per person per annum, less than the 

cost of a footy ticket. For Germans, it’s 

$US90; and for Americans, it’s $US96 

– based purely on the level of federal 

government support. 

A more accurate figure would take 

into account the billion-dollar deals 

done at state level, which ramped up 

substantially in the aftermath of the 

global financial crisis. 

Our auto tariff is 5 per cent – compared 

to 10 per cent in the EU, 25 per cent in 

China, and up to 100 per cent in India. 

And let’s not be naive about where this 

game is really played – in the arena of 

monetary policy. 

The Japanese government, for one, 

makes no bones about it. Prime minister 

Shinzo Abe declared Japan is pursuing 

a course of “bold monetary easing”. 

Cabinet documents confirm that these 

“aggressive” settings are intended to 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 3 

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Career Opportunity for a General 

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Kim Carr (left) and Mike Devereux 

“facilitate the expansion of Japanese 

businesses in overseas markets”. Put 

simply, Japan is driving the price of the 

yen and exports down. 

And the Obama administration 

is aggressively encouraging auto 

manufacturers to come back to 

American shores – they call it 

“onshoring” – using a range of tariffs, 

incentives and subsidies far more 

generous than Australia maintains. 

That ought to remind us of the sheer 

resilience and leanness of local auto 

firms. 

The Labor government is proud of its 

investment in auto. 

That attitude used to be bipartisan. 

But the Coalition has already pledged 

to cut support to the industry by $500 

million; and has given no commitment 

beyond 2015. Leaks from Shadow 

Cabinet confirm the strong pressure for 

further cuts. 


Sydney 

brooke@automotivepersonnel.com.au craig@automotivepersonnel.com.au 

Brooke Jones 0438 533 699 Craig Warren 0417 248 884



Bib Stillwell BMW 

Sales 

Finance 

Service 

Parts 

THE ULTIMATE CAREER OPPORTUNITY 

AT BIB STILLWELL BMW. 

Bib Stillwell BMW South Yarra is one of Australia’s most successful 

BMW dealerships boasting a strong local identity and an ever-growing 

loyal customer base. A fifty year tradition of excellent service and a 

passion for exciting automobiles is the foundation of our business. 

An exciting opportunity exists for a hardworking and determined 

Sales Executive to join our team at the South Yarra dealership. 

What we are looking for: 

• Extensive Automotive sales experience 

• Passion, motivation and a positive attitude 

• Exceptional people skills 

• High level of personal commitment and focus 

The winning candidate will enjoy: 

• A state of the art dealership 

• Dynamic and supportive management team 

• Exciting career opportunities 

• Excellent remuneration and commission 

If you believe you possess the skills to match our level of expectation and 

have the motivation and desire to take the next step in your career, then 

please forward your resumé to adam.davenport@bibstillwell.com.au 


Auto funding not ‘wasted’ 


This is a capital-intensive industry. 

It relies on long-term investments 

underpinned by a clear and consistent 

message from the Opposition. If Abbott 

in opposition has been a threat to 

Australian cars, in government he could 

be fatal. 

So I come to the final argument – the 

claim that auto has had its day. 

Anyone who has walked into a car 

plant would know that the auto industry 

incubates vital skills and develops 

new infrastructure and technologies. 

It supplies the workers, the contracts 

and the innovations on which other 

manufacturing sectors rely. 

Above all, it sustains the jobs that 

pay the mortgage and put the food on 

the table. 

I defy any economist to tell me these 

are somehow unworthy concerns. 

Today the Labor government is 

continuing to support vital technology 

development and product diversification 

within the sector. Work is being done 

to better integrate the local industry 

into global markets and attract new 

investment. 

More can, and I trust will, be done 

to encourage state governments to buy 

locally. 

This support for the industry 

continues through to 2018. That, at 

least, is the future Labor intends. 

Australian industry leaders have said 

that 2013 could be the year Australia 

Mornington BMW 

Sales 

Finance 

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Parts 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 4 

Ford Territory 

decides whether it wants a car industry 

or not. If Mr Abbott is successful we 

know what the answer will be. 

Editor’s note: Senator Kim Carr 

was the federal industry and innovation 

minister from December 2007 to 

December 2011, then minister for 

manufacturing until March 2012. 

Shadow minister for industry and 

innovation, Sophie Mirabella, has also 

been invited to contribute. 

THE ULTIMATE CAREER OPPORTUNITY 

AT MORNINGTON BMW. 

Mornington BMW is a successful BMW dealership built on a tradition 

of passion, performance and attention to detail. With a facility upgrade 

scheduled for completion and the new Peninsula Link offering easy 

access to the area, this dealership will experience unparalleled growth 

in the coming 12 months. An exciting opportunity exists for an ambitious 

and dedicated Sales Executive to join our professional team. Reporting 

directly to the New Vehicle Sales Manager, the winning candidate will 

be responsible for cultivating and promoting this luxury brand. 

What we are looking for: 

• Minimum 3 years automotive dealership sales experience 

• Exceptional people skills 

• Passion, motivation and a positive attitude 

• High level of personal commitment and focus 

The winning candidate will enjoy: 

• Excellent remuneration, commission structure and company vehicle options 

• A dynamic and supportive management team 

• Continuous opportunities for self-improvement 

• Exciting career opportunities for the future 

If you believe you possess the skills to match our level of expectation 

and are available for an immediate start, then please forward your 

resumé to andrea.miniken@morningtonbmw.com.au



GM’s Zeta to the four 

General Motors is testing 

four-cylinder powertrain 

on Commodore platform 

EXCLUSIVE 


GENERAL Motors is testing a 

powerful turbocharged four-cylinder 

petrol engine in a vehicle based on the 

Australian-engineered Zeta platform 

that underpins Holden’s VE and VF 

Commodore. 

But the mysterious project does not 

appear to point to a future production 

vehicle. 

Speaking exclusively with GoAuto 

at the recent New York motor show, 

GM executive chief engineer for luxury 

and rear-wheel-drive cars David Leone 

revealed the existence of a four-cylinder 

engineering evaluation mule based on 

the VE/VF Commodore’s Zeta platform. 

Holden confirmed to GoAuto that 

one such engineering evaluation mule 

exists, but outside Australia – and it is 

not clear which Zeta-based vehicle is 

being used. 

Using a 204kW/400Nm 2.0-litre 

turbo-petrol engine from the Opel Astra 

OPC, the prototype produces almost as 

The Opportunity 

The Regent Motors Group is a longstanding, privately owned automotive business 

in Western Australia. Our key business partners include Toyota, Nissan, Ford, 

Mitsubishi, Kia, Isuzu Ute and Renault. We employ over 250 personnel across 5 

sites with further acquisitive growth scheduled for 2013. We strive to provide 

employees with ongoing opportunities to challenge themselves, develop and grow 

their career. We invest in our people by way of a structured, tailor-made training 

program hosted by automotive industry-specifi c experts. 

Shinju Motor Group (SMG) is located in Broome WA and is the most recent 

acquisition for Regent Motors. SMG represents Ford, Kia and Nissan in Broome 

and boasts a large selection of pre-owned vehicles. A recent upgrade to current 

facilities allows SMG to focus on providing exceptional customer service to the 

extensive Kimberly region of WA. 

The Position 

This is a unique opportunity for a suitably experienced automotive professional 

to build & grow a successful dealership with the support and guidance of an 

established automotive group. Reporting to the Dealer Principal, you must have an 

unrelenting focus on driving the business daily, developing high performance teams 

and delivering exemplary customer service. 

You will be responsible for each department achieving its mutually agreed fi nancial 

much power and a healthy 50Nm more 

torque than the 3.6-litre V6 used in the 

sporty Commodore SV6. 

If fitted to a Commodore, the 

drivetrain would outmuscle the 

179kW/353Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder 

turbo in the rival Ford Falcon 

EcoBoost. 

But Mr Leone told GoAuto the first 

four-cylinder Commodore since the 

1.9-litre VC and VH of the early 1980s 

is “not in the near future”, citing slow 

sales of the four-pot Falcon. 

“I tracked the data and the fourcylinder 

Falcon from a sales standpoint 

is insignificant, it doesn’t look like it 

helped them (Ford),” he said. 

“They (Ford) are able to claim 

segment-best fuel economy with it, but 

it does look like that’s where the claim 

stops because it doesn’t look like the 


Apr 10, 2013 Page 5 

VF testing 

Australian customer is migrating to that 

– there are more six-cylinder sales than 

there are four-cylinder. 

“Perception lags reality in this 

business and it (four-cylinder Falcon) is 

quite a good car but it doesn’t appear to 

be getting the customer.” 

Another factor is that the Falcon 

EcoBoost’s official combined fuel 

consumption figure of 8.1 litres of fuel 

per 100km is the same as the smaller, 

front-drive Astra OPC. 

As such, it would be hard for GM’s 

four-cylinder engine to achieve similar 

figures in the heavier Commodore, or 

even match the the 3.0-litre V6 engine, 

which uses 8.9L/100km (the 3.6 uses 

9.5L/100km). 


Reborn Torana still alive – next page 

General Manager 

Shinju Motor Group 

objectives as well as ensuring the Dealership exceeds all business benchmarks and 

manufacturer targets. 

Ultimately you will execute and deliver the vision, inspiration and professionalism 

required to successfully lead SMG in driving growth. 

The General Manager 

You will ideally have experience as a GM/GSM in a successful, process-driven 

automotive dealership and have an excellent reputation in Dealership Management. 

You must be able to demonstrate consistent performance in your current role, along 

with considerable retail experience. This role may suit a high-volume Sales Manager, 

seeking to take the next step. You will be a strong leader, highly organised and able 

to implement policies and procedures in line with Group guidelines. 

The General Manager will be an enthusiastic, outgoing and tenacious person with 

strong communication and exceptional negotiation skills. 

All applications will be treated in the strictest of confi dence and should be 

directed to Tim Johnston on timj@shinjmotorgroup.com or on 0498 400 291. 

040513-83




Reborn Torana still alive 

Rear-drive Chevy Code 

130R coupe remains a 

prospect for production 


GENERAL Motors has reignited 

hope that it could eventually produce a 

compact rear-drive coupe based on the 

Chevrolet Code 130R concept unveiled 

at the 2012 Detroit motor show. 

Speaking exclusively with GoAuto 

at the recent New York motor show, 

GM executive chief engineer for luxury 

and rear-wheel-drive cars David Leone 

revealed “there is hope” a car based on 

the 130R could reach production. 

“I think there’s opportunity there ... 

it’s just not ready for prime-time yet,” 

he said, adding that GM continues to 

study the possibility of a production 

Code 130R. 

The concept’s reappearance at the 

Bangkok motor show late last month – 

still wearing what looks like Holden’s 

Perfect Blue paintwork as it did at 

the 2012 Paris show – demonstrates 

GM’s continued assessment of public 

reaction. 

Made 

in Australia 

“It really appealed to the younger 

folks,” said Mr Leone. “That wasn’t lost 

on us and we see that opportunity in a 

place where we could expand the brand.” 

At the time of its unveiling in January 

last year, speculation was rife that the 

Code 130R – based on GM’s global 

Alpha rear-drive platform shared with 

the Cadillac ATS – could form the basis 

of a reborn Holden Torana. 

In an interview with Wheels magazine 

last year, Holden-based executive 

director of design at GM International 

Operations Mike Simcoe expressed 

enthusiasm for the Code 130R and 

was amenable to it reviving the Torana 

nameplate. 

“Would I like to have a compact rearwheel-drive 

performance coupe like 

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Apr 10, 2013 Page 6 

that in any portfolio? Yes … in essence 

it’s doing the same thing Torana did all 

those years ago.” 

The boxy Code 130R is one half of a 

Chevrolet coupe concept offensive, the 

other being the sleeker, front-drive Tru 

140S shown alongside at both Detroit 

and Bangkok. 


Commodore outside top 10 – page 21 

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Glass’s Forecast 

‘Bring it on’ 

Near-production BMW X4 set for Shanghai show 


BMW’S niche-filling strategy 

continues apace with the unveiling 

of a concept previewing the muchanticipated, 

coupe-styled X4 SUV that 

will take on the Range Rover Evoque 

and forthcoming Porsche Macan. 

Like many recent BMW concepts, the 

Concept X4 to be shown at this month’s 

Shanghai motor show looks close to 

production, with the showroom version 

confirmed to materialise as early as next 

year and serve as little brother to the 

Potent 640d Gran Coupe diesel arrives, from $185K 

By MIKE COSTELLO 

BMW has launched a potent diesel 

version of its 6 Series Gran Coupe that 

accelerates from zero to 100km/h in 

less time than a HSV GTS. 

Dubbed the 640d, the newest 

member of the Bavarian brand’s 

slinky four-door range is powered 

by a 230kW/630Nm 3.0-litre directinjection 

turbo-diesel engine. 

The oil-burning unit is not the same 

as BMW’s other recently revealed hipo 

diesel, the unique triple-turbo from 

the X5 and X6. 

Visit our website: www.glassguide.com.au 

pioneering – and polarising – X6. 

BMW Group Australia corporate 

communications general manager 

Lenore Fletcher told GoAuto the X4 

is “one of the cars we will be watching 

with great interest from here in 

Australia”. 

“We would definitely love to see it in 

our line-up and are optimistic about our 

ability to do that,” she said. “Bring it 

on, and as quickly as possible.” 


Despite weighing around two tonnes, 

the 640d dispatches the 0-100km/h dash 

in a swift 5.4 seconds – coincidentally 

the same as the 640i petrol variant. 

Meanwhile, relaxed driving will yield 

combined-cycle fuel usage of 5.7 litres 

per 100km. 



Now Available Online - gfv.glassguide.com.au 

Glass’s Forecast - Reliable forecasting you can count on. 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 7 

Brutal M6 Gran Coupe 

to start from $299,500 


BMW Australia has announced 

pricing on the final member of its 

brutal M6 trio – the four-door, fourseat 

Gran Coupe – ahead of its arrival 

in showrooms from July. 

As expected, the slinky sedan is 

positioned smack bang between its 

M6 coupe and cabriolet siblings at 

$299,500 plus on-road costs. 

The hefty pricetag also makes the 

Gran Coupe $70,000 more expensive 

than the mechanically identical but 

more practical M5 sedan. 

Still, it takes acceleration bragging 

rights over the M5 – albeit by one 

tenth of a second – with a supercarmatching 

0-100km/h sprint time of 

4.2 seconds. Both cars use the same 

ferocious 412kW/680Nm 4.4-litre 

twin-turbo V8 engine. 

The claimed acceleration figure is 

enough to match the car that many will 

consider its closest rival, the Mercedes- 

Benz CLS63 AMG, although not 

as quick as the considerably more 

expensive Porsche Panamera Turbo 

(3.9s). 

Power is sent to the rear wheels via 

a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic 

transmission and fuel consumption 

is a claimed 9.9 litres per 100km – 

impressively low for a car of this type 

– which BMW chalks up in part to 

weight-saving measures such as the 

carbon-fibre roof. 


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Panamera plugs in 

Frugal plug-in hybrid and 

new twin-turbo V6 set for 

Porsche grand tourer here 


PORSCHE has revealed a plug-in 

Panamera that not only undercuts the 

fuel use of its hybrid predecessor by 

more than half, but is also ‘greener’ 

than a Toyota Prius. 

Revealed last week ahead of its world 

debut in Shanghai on April 20, the plugin 

Panamera returns a fuel use figure of 

3.1 litres per 100km on the European 

cycle – extraordinary for a full-size grand 

tourer – although Porsche freely admits 

this is in strictly controlled conditions. 

As a result, the most efficient 

production Porsche to date not only 

beats the figures of the outgoing 

Panamera hybrid (7.1L/100km) and 

current diesel (6.5L/100km), but also 

the environmental benchmark Toyota 

Prius (3.9L/100km). 

The plug-in Panamera can travel at 

a maximum speed of 135km/h before 

the petrol engine kicks in, and for the 

first time there is also an electric-only 

driving range – it can travel a maximum 

of 36 kilometres as a pure EV. 

Top speed doubles to 270km/h for 

the petrol unit, while the combined 

drivetrain can send the hefty Panamera 

Planning & Controlling Manager 


Apr 10, 2013 Page 8 

as the local distributor for the iconic Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Fiat and alfa brands, Fiat Chrysler group is seeking a Planning and 

Controlling Manager. Based in our new head office in Port Melbourne and within the Finance team this is an excellent opportunity 

to demonstrate and develop your commercial acumen, leadership and technical skills and be exposed to all areas of the business. 

Reporting directly to the CFO, the role will oversee the financial planning and controlling, costing and invoicing functions. 

the ideal candidate will be: 

• Commercially minded; 

• Have experience in the automotive segment; 

• A good understanding of accounting principles; 

• Able to communicate clearly, calmly and tactfully – both written 

and oral; 

from zero to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds – 

half a second faster than the previous 

traditional hybrid. 

The E-Hybrid’s drivetrain is 

essentially lifted from the Sport 

Turismo concept displayed at the Paris 

motor show last September. Total 

system output is 310kW, with the new 

electric motor chipping in 70kW – more 

than double the output in the previous, 

non-plug-in hybrid. 

A more potent 9.4kWh lithium-ion 

battery replaces the old S Hybrid’s 

nickel-metal hydride unit. Porsche 

claims the cells can be fully recharged 

from a conventional household outlet 

in fewer than four hours, or around 2.5 

hours with an industrial outlet. 

Power is fed to the wheels via an 

eight-speed automatic transmission 

shared with the diesel version. 

Customers can also read charge status 

data on a smartphone, as well as remotely 

control cabin cooling and heating and 

various bits of trip information such as 

remaining driving range. 

The good news for environmentally 

charged (and financially sorted) 

Australians is that the S E-Hybrid 

version has been confirmed for local 

launch this year, although Porsche 

Australia is still sorting out the exact 

launch date. 

Porsche Australia public relations 

manager Paul Ellis told GoAuto that 

local pricing and exact launch timing 

would be revealed in the coming weeks. 

Mr Ellis said the company was 

confident of a jump in hybrid sales 

compared to the previous, non-plug-in 

version, which accounted for about five 

per cent of Panamera sales. The outgoing 

hybrid sold for $300,500, with the new 

plug-in likely to attract a small premium. 


• Problem-solving and analytical abilities – able to work outside 

the square and show initiative; 

• High degree of computer literacy is a must, and advanced Excel 

skills are highly desirable; and 

• Well organised, thorough, attentive to detail and able to work 

to a deadline. 

If you have the drive, ability and desire to hold an important role as part of the Fiat Chrysler Group, then Don’t Hold Back! 

Please apply now by emailing your CV to: Mietta.gibson@chrysler.com. Applications close Saturday 20th April 2013.



Sub-370Z sportscar with 

electrified powertrain set 

for Tokyo show premiere 

love that career 

Career OppOrtunities 

At Mitsubishi Motors our people are key to our success. 


Nissan’s sportscar plans 

By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS 

NISSAN has finally confirmed its 

intentions to revive a Silvia/200SXstyle 

sportscar in time for November’s 

Tokyo motor show. 

Previewed more than two years ago 

as the Esflow concept, the vehicle in 

question will demonstrate Nissan’s 

latest electrification technology, 

wrapped up in a swoopy sportscar body. 

While Nissan says the finished product 

intends to slip beneath the current 370Z 

in terms of size and price, it is unknown 

whether the upcoming show vehicle 

will be yet another concept flight of 

fancy or the first showing of a finished 

production model. 

Whatever the case, an electric Le 

Mans racing car will follow the Tokyo 

exercise in June next year in an attempt 

to underline how serious Nissan is 

about its commitment to electrification 

as well as performance. 

A petrol-electric hybrid version of the 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 9 

Mitsubishi Motors is a leading distributor of motor vehicles across Australia with models including 

Lancer, Triton, “When Pajero we say and that Outlander. we are With going a raft to of bedfellows. 

new models being introduced over the next 

24 months, we’re looking for people with the energy, initiative and drive to help us continue to 

go to Le Mans, which we will in 2014 

grow our brand in Australia. 

National Collision Product Manager 

Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney Based 

will be electrification of the GT-R instantaneously. 

Reporting to the Head of Sales and Marketing for Parts and Accessories, you will be responsible for developing and implementing 

sometime in the near future. 

“So for a car that is really fun to 

a national and regional strategy to achieve Mitsubishi Motors annual aftersales objectives for the collision channel. 

“But we’ve got some other plans for drive, electric presents with us an 

The successful applicant will act as Mitsubishi’s specialist to the industry by supporting and developing relationships with key 

industry what stakeholders we including think sportscars dealers, repairer for associations, Gen Xs MTAs, opportunity.” 

automotive associations, insurers and relevant government 

bodies in and order Gen to ensure Ys would Mitsubishi look maximise like, their and opportunities I think for the sales of OE parts nationally. 

A strategic that thinker the with Zed strong (370Z) negotiation will skills, sit you apart will be as tertiary a qualified and FULL possess STORY: sound CLICK understanding HERE of the collision 

and repair industry (Ref No. COU185). 

Sales Development Manager Qld 

Brisbane Based 

Reporting to the Regional Sales Manager, you will be responsible for planning, leading and monitoring the achievement of 

Mitsubishi Motors Australia sales and owner loyalty love objectives that within career the assigned dealer zone. 

Ideally you will be degree qualified, an experienced sales professional, results focused, with strong presentation abilities, the highest 

Mitsubishi Motors is a leading distributor of motor vehicles across Australia with models including 

level of written and verbal communication combined with strong interpersonal and relationship building skills (Ref No. COU183). 

Mitsubishi Motors are excited to announce two new roles based in the Adelaide head office. 

Aftersales Support Technician – Adelaide Job Ref #GA 124 

Aftersales Business Manager NSW 

National Collision Product Manager 

Key to this role will be your concern Sydney for Based quality and your ability to problem Adelaide, solve. Melbourne The or Sydney successful Based applicant will coordinate 

Reporting to the Head of Sales and Marketing for Parts and Accessories, you will be responsible for developing and implementing 

collection, inspection and dispatch of parts associated with Product Quality a national and reports, regional strategy to assist achieve Mitsubishi with Motors Product annual aftersales objectives Quality for the collision Report channel. 

Reporting to the Regional Manager, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a regional business plan to achieve 

The successful applicant will act as Mitsubishi’s specialist to the industry by supporting and developing relationships with key 

investigation and countermeasure Mitsubishi’s evaluation, annual coordinate aftersales objectives press release for parts industry and vehicle stakeholders accessories preparation including dealers, sales, repairer service associations, (including sales MTAs, automotive penetration initial associations, evaluation), 

and insurers customer and relevant government satisfaction. 

bodies in order to ensure Mitsubishi maximise their opportunities for the sales of OE parts nationally. 

coordination of mileage accumulation This will and include rectification building of and concerns supporting identified, an effective assist network with of parts Technical and service Service outlets activities capable including 

A strategic thinker with strong negotiation skills, you will be tertiary qualified and possess sound of understanding achieving of the collision Mitsubishi’s 

and repair industry (Ref No. COU185). 

MUT III data validation, and validation revenue of forecasts. repair instruction and evaluation of special tools. 

Sales Development Manager Qld 

You will be an experienced and action oriented aftersales professional, with a sound understanding of, and management 

Brisbane Based 

experience with, dealer operations or non-genuine Reporting operations. to the Regional Strong Sales Manager, consultative you will be responsible skills for planning, combined leading and with monitoring excellent the achievement written of and 

Aftersales Trainer SA/WA verbal communication – Adelaide Mitsubishi Motors Australia sales and owner loyalty objectives within the assigned 

and customer service skills are essential (Ref No. COU184). Job dealer Ref zone. #GA 125 

Ideally you will be degree qualified, an experienced sales professional, results focused, with strong presentation abilities, the highest 

level of written and verbal communication combined with strong interpersonal and relationship building skills (Ref No. COU183). 

Do you have what it takes to deliver new model and systems training in our Adelaide Training Centre and selected venues in SA 

and WA? Are you experienced in the preparation of automotive training programs Aftersales Business to Manager address NSW specific training requirements? 

Sydney Based 

We’re looking to boost our team with To discuss a highly these motivated roles in trainer absolute who confidence, will also Reporting be contact to responsible the Regional Manager, Ross you will for Geddes be responsible the maintenance for or developing Paul and implementing Grindrod, of a all regional training 

business at plan to achieve 

Mitsubishi’s annual aftersales objectives for parts and accessories sales, service sales penetration and customer satisfaction. 

and administration for SA and WA. COURLAND Intra/interstate AUTOMOTIVE travel is required. PRACTICE, or This will email include building your and resume supporting an effective quoting network of the parts and relevant service outlets Ref capable No. of achieving Mitsubishi’s 

revenue forecasts. 

Tel: (02) 9957 4182 Email: australia@courland.com 

You will be an experienced and action oriented aftersales professional, with a sound understanding of, and management 

A minimum requirement for either In of association the above roles with is Geddes to be a Parker qualified & motor Partners 

experience mechanic with, dealer operations or non-genuine auto operations. electrician. Strong consultative Candidates skills combined with excellent that written and 

verbal communication and customer service skills are essential (Ref No. COU184). 

can also demonstrate current Mitsubishi product knowledge will be well regarded. 

Apply at www.seek.com.au by searching for the relevant job title above. Include Tel: (02) 9957 4182 the Email: Job australia@courland.com Ref # in your 

In association with Geddes Parker & Partners 

application cover letter. For a confidential discussion please contact Mitsubishi HR on 0448 623 327. 

www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au 

GT-R supercar is also expected soon 

after. 

Speaking to Australian media at the 

New York motor show late last month, 

Nissan Motor Co executive vice- 

president Andy Palmer revealed that the 

company plans to spread its sportscar 

offerings beyond the 370Z and GT-R. 

with an electric sportscar, it implies an 

interest in electrification of a sportscar,” 

he said. “And we’ve implied that there 

Esflow concept 

classic sportscar. 

“But we think that there is room 

below that for something very special. 

And for that we will see you at Tokyo.” 

When queried on the sub-Zed 

sportscar’s powertrain specifics, 

Mr Palmer said electrification 

and performance made excellent 

“I think there is room for both (petrolelectric 

hybrid and pure electric),” he 

said. “The beauty of pure electric is 

that there is oodles of torque and power 

Lancer, Triton, Pajero and Outlander. With a raft of new models being introduced over the next 

24 months, we’re looking for people with the energy, initiative and drive to help us continue to 

grow our brand in Australia. 

To discuss these roles in absolute confidence, contact Ross Geddes or Paul Grindrod, at 

COURLAND AUTOMOTIVE PRACTICE, or email your resume quoting the relevant Ref No.



Dodge ‘alive and well’ 

US brand still has a future 

Down Under as local team 

mulls case for new models 


RUMOURS of the demise of US 

brand Dodge in Australia appear to 

have been greatly exaggerated, with 

local parent company Fiat Chrysler 

confirming it has a future here. 

But the company has stopped short 

of saying which – if any – new models 

are in the pipeline for the local market 

beyond its current single model, the 

Journey people-mover. 

However, it is believed that several 

right-hand-drive business cases are 

being examined in the US, with models 

such as the Ram pick-up truck, Durango 

large SUV and Charger rear-drive sedan 

all in with a shot at coming to Australia 

as early as next year. 

This means Dodge could be the next 

Fiat Chrysler Group brand in line for 

expansion, with the company already 

confirming plans to grow the Fiat model 

range beyond the 500 city car to include 

the Punto small hatchback, Panda fivedoor 

hatch and Freemont people-mover 

by year’s end. 

As GoAuto has reported, Fiat 

Chrysler has spoken previously of its 

plans to withdraw the Dodge marque 

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Automotive Retailers 2013 

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Both non-luxury and luxury editions for 2013 are available. 

Contact John or Brett to arrange a time to discuss. 

Brett Fowler, Director John Gavljak, Director 

Moore Stephens (Melbourne) Moore Stephens (Sydney) 

0418 187 759 0499 773 881 

bfowler@moorestephens.com.au jgavljak@moorestephens.com.au 

www.moorestephens.com.au 

from most international markets and 

place more focus on its strong North 

American home territory. 

Comments from senior management 

in April last year along those lines 

occurred around the same time as 

Dodge Caliber and Nitro stocks in 

Australia dried up, leaving the Journey 

as the last Dodge standing. 

With Fiat Chrysler set to launch the 

Fiat Freemont – essentially a rebadged 

Journey – questions over the viability 

of the Dodge version were raised. As 

reported, the company will side-step 

this problem by positioning the Journey 

as a more premium offering. 

Sales of the Journey are still relatively 

strong, with 169 units delivered in 

March, and 419 sales for the first quarter 

(up 168 per cent). 

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which are independent members of Moore Stephens International limited – members in principal cities throughout the world. 


Serious about Success ® 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 10 

Durango 

According to Fiat Chrysler Group 

Australia director of corporate affairs 

Karla Leach, the company originally 

intended for Dodge to become a 

‘premium’ American brand, but not 

necessarily an exclusively American 

one. 

The apparent about-face means 

the future of the badge is “definitely 

confirmed” for Australia, and while 

there is no confirmation of a subsequent 

model expansion, several business 

cases are “alive and well”. 

Fiat Chrysler senior manager of 

product planning Zac Loo, meanwhile, 

told GoAuto last week that the company 

was “open to all possibilities in future”. 


Freemont files in – next page



Freemont files in 

Fiat expands local range 

with value-laden wagon 

starting at just $27K d/a 


FIAT’S Australian range expansion 

begins now, with the company making a 

bold play to capture some of the strong 

crossover SUV market with the sharply 

priced Freemont. 

A derivative of the existing Dodge 

Journey that will remain on sale in 

Australia, the US-built Freemont – part 

people-mover, part SUV – will offer more 

space than price-point rivals, as well as 

the option of seven seats across the range. 

At the base level 

buyers will be able to 

get into a seven-seat 

Freemont for $28,500 

driveaway – cheaper 

than rival seven-seat 

people-movers and SUVs alike, with 

the exception of Kia’s much smaller 

and soon-to-be-superseded Rondo. 

The Freemont will book-end a 

growing Fiat passenger car range in 

Australia alongside the existing 500 – 

until now its sole model Down Under 

excluding a pair of commercial vans. 

Over the course of this year, the 

company will add the Panda and Punto 

hatchbacks, and later a jacked-up offroad 

version of the Panda to boot. 

Fiat will market the high-riding 

Freemont as a rival to popular front-drive 

versions of family SUVs such as the 

Holden Captiva 7, as well as lower-end 

PRICING: 

Base 2.4 petrol (a) $27,000 d/a 

Urban 2.4 petrol (a) $28,300 

Lounge 2.4 petrol (a) $30,300 

Urban 2.0 diesel $32,600 

people-movers, with the SUV segment 

providing potential for far greater sales. 

The company will offer three 

specification levels – Base, Urban and 

Lounge – all three with a 125kW/220Nm 

2.4-litre four-cylinder 

petrol engine matched 

with a six-speed 

automatic transmission. 

Fuel consumption is 

listed as 9.8 litres per 

100km on the combined cycle. 

The mid-spec Urban can also be had 

with a 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel 

paired with a six-speed manual 

only, slashing fuel consumption to a 

claimed 6.3L/100km. 

The company will offer only frontdrive 

configuration in order to provide 

further differentiation from the frontwheel-drive 

Journey – which, unlike the 

Freemont, is powered by a thirstier but 

faster 206kW/342Nm V6 petrol engine – 

and to keep the bottom line under control. 


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Apr 10, 2013 Page 11 

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choices have been announced. 

The Zafira name is familiar to 

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almost 6000 sales in that time. 


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Motor show gloss fades 

It is time for Australian 

motor shows to move 

into modern dealerships 

COMMENT 

By JOHN MELLOR 

THE cancellation of the 2013 Australian 

International Motor Show for this year 

surely marks yet another long-standing 

retail tradition that time and technology 

have overtaken. 

First started in 1925, the Melbourne 

Motor Show rode on the back of the 

growth of the popularity of cars both 

from people who could afford to buy 

them in the Roaring Twenties and 

from those who aspired or dreamed of 

doing so. Then the post-war car boom 

generated a massive following from 

men, boys and some girls who rolled 

up to every motor show to feast on 

chromed charisma. 

But the decline of interest in motor 

shows has been a long time in the 

making. 

Initially the Melbourne show was a 

dealer affair; organised by Melbourne’s 

dealers and motor trade bodies. 

The motor show was effectively a 

collective of dealers who assembled 

their latest offerings in the one place 

(mostly the Royal Exhibition Buildings) 

and cars were sold off the display stand 

by dealership staff. 

Sixty years ago my mother bought 

an FJ Holden from the Melbourne 

motor show from a salesman who, on 

weekends, also played in the ruck for 

the Demons. She was more impressed 

with the towering ruckman than the car. 

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That’s how it was done. 

With time, the nature of the show 

changed. Increasingly, as car companies 

took over state distribution rights from 

leading dealer-distributors, the carmakers 

themselves paid for their motor 

show stands because the dealers did not 

necessarily have the resources to create a 

sufficiently respectable brand statement. 

The emphasis on selling cars 

gradually gave way to displaying cars. 

Brands began competing with each 

other with ever more elaborate displays 

creating an upward spiral of costs in the 

race for the top show stand. The stand 

builders had a captive market and soon 

learned to milk car company budgets 

for all they could get. They now pay the 

price. 

As a media purchase a motor show 

makes no sense. 

From what I can gather, it has been 

costing car-makers a combined $60 

million to $80 million to fund a motor 

show. That is about what Toyota, 

Australia’s market leader, spends on all 

its advertising in all media nationally 

for a year. 

Yet attendances have fallen from 

a peak of 320,000 in 2001 in Sydney, 

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Sydney • Melbourne • Adelaide • Perth 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 13 

when Holden unveiled its reborn 

Monaro, to just 135,000 at last year’s 

Sydney show. 

Sixty to eighty million for one city for 

an audience not much greater than The 

Age or SMH delivers on a Saturday? I 

don’t think so. 

There are a number of reasons for 

the decline in show attendances that 

deserve discussion. 

Show organisers became promoters 

by organising eye-watering concept 

cars from the leading styling houses 

of Europe: Bertone, ItalDesign, 

Pininfarina, Ghia et al. People flocked 

in because there was nothing like them 

on our roads. 

But styling that knocked our socks 

off in the 1960s and 1970s these days 

is common fare from most of the carmakers. 

And the prospect of grand 

performance to excite show-goers also 

lost its power to astonish. 

By the mid-1990s, the acceleration 

of the swoon car of 1972, the Maserati 

Merak, had been matched by the twin- 

cam Toyota Celica and a Chrysler Neon 

turbo. Such performance was becoming 

common and available in showrooms. 


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Motor show gloss fades 


Then the promoters sought savings 

and started expecting the car companies 

to fly out their concept cars. So the rot 

set in because the number and wow 

factor of show cars began to decline 

with belt-tightening from declining 

market shares by the well-resourced 

car-makers and squabbles over clashes 

with overseas motor show dates. 

Similarly, local car-makers have 

lately lost the wherewithal or the will to 

develop concept cars. 

Another factor: cars last a lot longer. 

People take out four, five and even six 

years financing so new cars are not on 

their radar screens as often as when 

poor durability drove people back into 

showrooms every three years or sooner. 

As well, there are so many new 

models that the driving public are 

numbed by the onslaught. A new model 

is no longer the novelty that it once was 

and therefore the desire to flock to a 

motor show is diminished. 

In the Melbourne Herald in the 1960s, 

pictures of a new Holden would be 

plastered all over the broadsheet’s front 

page and sales of the paper would soar 

that evening to well over 600,000 copies. 

No wonder people flocked to a motor 

show where the best, brightest and latest 

could be touched, smelled and sat in. 

Today there is a new model car or 

variant launched in Australia every two 

to three working days. The novelty of 

those heady days has gone. 

In addition, driving excitement has 

been beaten out of the psyche of the 

general motoring public by conservative 

speed limits and traffic congestion. 

Overall, the interest of the public 

in cars occurs less frequently and is 

generally confined to the period leading 

up to a new car purchase. 

Here online consumer websites 

such as GoAuto.com.au cut through 

the complexity of scores of makes 

and hundreds of models and help car 

shoppers navigate their way towards 

making a final choice of what to buy. 

But for all the money spent on 

displays, a terrible flaw crept into the 

modern motor show. 

They became boring. Car-makers 

failed to do justice to their new models 

and concept cars with static displays or 

turntables mostly without even any door 

open so you could not see the interior. 

Worse, concept cars abound with 

great design ideas yet the best most car 

companies could do with cars they had 

flown across the word to surprise and 

delight potential customers was a little 

metal stand with an A4 sized info-sheet 

with very little of any relevance written 

on it. 

But online you can get everything you 

need, bar the touch and feel, including 

background stories to the various clever 

features built into the concept cars, 

interviews with the designers, videos of 

the cars on the road and so on. 

How do you top that? 

So it is time to move on and support 

the businesses that started the motor 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 14 

shows in the first place. The dealers. 

The most effective motor show for 

Melbourne, or any other city for that 

matter, would be conducted across the 

city in the various quite spectacular 

showrooms that have relatively recently 

been built by individual dealers at a 

cost of between $5 million and, in some 

cases, up to $25 million. 

Collectively, many hundreds of 

millions of dollars have been spent by 

dealers on premises upgrades. 

By putting motor show models or 

concept cars from the other side of the 

world on tour at dealerships across our 

cities, dealers would be able to create 

events for their customers; drawing them 

into cocktail parties, lunches and other 

such occasions thus creating contact 

with their buyers and selected prospects 

from within their market areas and doing 

so in glorious prestigious showrooms. 

There would be far more return on 

investment for car-makers in terms 

of throwing their former motor show 

budgets into generating goodwill for the 

brand by bringing customers back into 

dealerships. 

And dealers would be able to justify, 

to some degree, the huge investments 

they have been making in their 

landmarks to the brand. 

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Kia’s redesigned Cerato small sedan arrives in Australia – and ticks most boxes 

By BARRY PARK 

THE third generation of Kia’s allimportant 

small car has come a long 

way from the sedan it has replaced, 

evolving into a model the Korean brand 

hopes will help it grow market share 

as buyers step up from lighter cars, or 

down from larger ones. 

As expected, Kia has 

maintained a starting price of 

$19,990 (plus on-road costs) 

for the four-door, matching 

key rivals such as the Toyota 

Corolla and Nissan Pulsar 

– and slightly undercutting 

others in Australia’s biggest 

market segment – while adding value 

with more equipment and other key 

selling points. 

Indeed, the Cerato is now longer, 

wider and lower to the ground than 

the model it replaces, while outside it 

has matured into something you could 

PRICING: 

S $19,990 

S (a) $21,990 

Si $23,990 

Si (a) $25,990 

SLi $27,990 

SLi (a) $29,990 

imagine showing off proudly to the 

neighbours. 

For the same-as-before money, you 

now get Kia’s 1.8-litre four-cylinder 

petrol engine producing 110kW of 

power and 178Nm of torque, mated to a 

six-speed manual, or for $2000 extra, a 

six-speed automatic gearbox. 

In one respect that is a 

backward step from the previous 

model, which kicked the range 

off with a 115kW version of 

the now-superseded 2.0-litre 

engine, but a big leap forward 

in terms of official combinedcycle 

fuel economy, which 

falls from 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres 

for the manual and 7.7L/100km for the 

auto to just 6.6L/100km for the manual, 

or 7.1L/100km for the auto. 

Kia says the new 1.8-litre engine, 

which does not include more bowserfriendly 

direct injection technology, 

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was included in the Australian lineup 

because it is sold in other markets 

where fuel quality is an issue. Dirty fuel 

and fuel injection, it appears, don’t mix. 

The base S model sits on 16-inch 

steel wheels sporting Nexus tyres, 

and unusually for an entry-level car 

in this segment, standard kit also 

includes foglights, front corner and 

rear parking sensors, cruise control 

and a folding key. 

New across the range is what Kia calls 

a “flex steer” steering system. It uses 

an electrically assisted steering servo 

to help lighten the load for drivers, but 

Kia has given it three different settings 

– comfort, normal and sport – so drivers 

can determine how much assistance 

they need. 

Like the suspension, the flex steer 

system has been tuned specifically to 

Australian tastes, Kia says. 


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The cheapest model also gets 

enhancements that have traditionally 

been reserved for higher-priced 

versions, including body-coloured 

bumpers, doorhandles and (heated) 

wing mirrors, and power windows all 

around, including an auto up-down 

function for the driver. 

The driver’s seat has six-way 

manual adjustment, while the steering 

wheel includes adjustment for both 

reach and rake. 

The audio system feeds out to six 

speakers, and includes a USB with 

auxiliary input, and a Bluetooth phone 

connection that the driver can control 

from the steering wheel. 

Kia claims the boot of the new Cerato 

is larger than before, gaining six litres 

over the sedan it replaces to post a 

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421-litre space. It is made more useful 

using a 60/40 split-fold rear seatback 

that rolls forward at the pull of a lever 

hidden in the boot. 

While boot room has increased, the 

use of more high-strength steel has 

helped Kia to shed between 42 to 67 

kilograms of bulk, depending on the 

model variant. 

For safety, six airbags, including 

head-protecting side curtain airbags, are 

standard across the Cerato sedan range, 

while every seat has a seatbelt reminder 

that can alert the driver if someone is 

not plugged in. 

Kia says it expects the new-generation 

Cerato sedan to improve on the previous 

generation’s four-star Australasian New 

Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) 

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Apr 10, 2013 Page 17 

crash rating by scoring the maximum 

five stars when it is tested. 

Stepping up to the $23,990 mid-range 

Si replaces the utilitarian interior of 

the entry-level model with something 

a bit more special, plus a new 2.0-litre 

direct-injection engine. 

The four-cylinder ‘GDi’ produces 

129kW/209Nm and returns 7.4L/100km 

with either the standard six-speed 

manual or optional six-speed auto. 

Naturally, the 2.0 GDi also offers 

improved acceleration over the 1.8, 

reaching 100km/h from standstill in 8.5 

seconds (auto: 9.0s) compared to the 

1.8’s 9.3 seconds (auto: 10.2s). 


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Superb facelift 

New look, more efficient engines for Skoda large car 

By TIM NICHOLSON 

SKODA has refreshed the Superb large 

car ahead of its debut at the Shanghai 

motor show later this month. 

Although difficult to tell at first 

glance, Skoda claims the Superb has 

been given “a completely new front 

and rear” incorporating elements from 

the Czech brand’s design language that 

features on the all-new Octavia midsizer 

and Rapid small car. 

Entirely redesigned up to the 

windscreen pillar, the Superb features 

a restyled grille, front bumper, 

headlights and foglights, and a more 

shapely bonnet. 

Skoda has also added bi-Xenon 

headlights to the range for the first time. 

While the Superb wagon picks up 

redesigned tail-lights, changes are more 

obvious on the rear of the liftback with 

a sharper bootlid reminiscent of sister 


Apr 10, 2013 Page 18 

Dealer Support repreSentative – partS 

– AustrAliAn MArket leAder 

– strong growth in pArts & Accessories 

– Brooklyn, VictoriA locAtion 

isuzu is recognized as Australia’s leading truck brand and 

has been for the past 24 years. We have achieved this through 

providing an extensive range of reliable trucks, backed by superior 

customer care. Due to an internal promotion an opportunity has 

arisen in our dynamic and growing Parts Division. 

To be considered for this position you must have: 

• Previous interpretation experience or truck trade background; 

• After Sales experience with a vehicle manufacturer, dealer or 

equivalent; 

• Strong computer literacy; 

• Total customer focus; 

• Order management experience; and 

• Preferably have knowledge of Isuzu products. 

www.isuzu.com.au 

company Audi’s current A4. 

Mechanical updates are relatively 

minor, with the 103kW 2.0-litre TDI 

turbo-diesel all-wheel-drive powertrain 

offered in both Ambition and Elegance 

specification now available with a 

manual gearbox. 

The more powerful all-paw 125kW 

2.0-litre turbo-diesel now comes with a 

six-speed dual-clutch transmission. 

It is not yet known whether these 

transmission updates will make it to 

Australian versions. 

Skoda said that “selected engines” 

would benefit from fuel savings of 

more than 19 per cent. While it did not 

elaborate on specific variants, the carmaker 

said stop-start technology and 

brake energy regeneration would be 

standard on all Superb diesels. 


Skoda set to reveal latest 

Octavia RS at Goodwood 


SKODA will reveal its all-new 

Octavia RS at England’s famed 

Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 

this year, claiming that it is the fastest 

Octavia of all time. 

The performance version of the 

Octavia line-up looks set to arrive in 

Australia early next year, shortly after 

the introduction of the more sedate 

liftback and wagon variants in the 

fourth quarter of this year. 

No powertrain details are confirmed 

for the RS-branded Octavia, although 

rumours suggest it will use either the 

new Volkswagen Golf GTI’s 162kW 

2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, or an asyet 

unnamed VW-sourced turbo-diesel. 

The new Octavia is built on VW’s 

MQB platform that is also used for the 

Golf, Audi’s A3 and the Seat Leon, 

and potentially more future models 

from the giant German car-maker. 

It is not known if, similar to its current 

line-up, Skoda will offer liftback and 

wagon versions of the new RS, or vRS 

as it is also known overseas. 


Primarily this role includes Isuzu truck parts enquiries and 

marketing. This includes parts interpretation, pricing, new 

model parts provisioning, supersession management and parts 

promotions. In addition a high level of focus on continuous 

improvement is essential. 

This is a great opportunity for an innovative, motivated and highly 

customer focused candidate to join a progressive and very 

successful organisation. Your experience and ideas will be well 

regarded in an organisation that values its employees input and 

rewards well for high achievement. 

If you believe you have the necessary attributes and are looking 

for a challenging and rewarding role, please email your cover letter 

and resumé to careers@isuzu.net.au 

Application closing date Monday 22nd April 2013.



Sportier focus for CR-Z 

More power for Honda 

hybrid coupe but entry 

level climbs to $38,490 


HONDA’S facelifted CR-Z hybrid 

coupe has landed in Australia with 

more power, but a subsequent slight 

increase in fuel consumption over the 

previous version. 

The price of entry is also higher, 

jumping to $38,490 plus on-road costs 

compared to the now discontinued 

$34,990 Sport version of its predecessor. 

In six-speed manual guise, combined 

power for the Integrated Motor Assist 

(IMA) hybrid system increases from 

91kW to 100kW, with torque up 

from 174Nm to 190Nm. 

The CVT version is up to 

99kW/172Nm – 5Nm more 

than before. 

But the boost in hybrid 

power has also seen an increase in fuel 

consumption, with the manual CR-Z 

sipping 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres 

on the combined cycle, up from 

5.0L/100km, while the CVT is up by 

0.3L/100km to 5.0L/100km. 

PRICING: 

CR-Z $38,490 

CR-Z (a) $40,790 


Pentana SolutionS would like to extend a huge thankS to our community of 

cuStomerS & PartnerS for their record attendance, collaboration & comPany at our 

recent SolutionS convention! 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 19 

Thank you 

Special Thanks to our 

Keynote Speaker: 

Robert Graziano 

President & CEO 

Ford Motor Company of Australia 

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder powertrain 

is carried over from the original CR- 

Z, but Honda has replaced the nickelmetal 

hydride battery with a lighter and 

more powerful lithium-ion unit that has 

assisted with the increase in power. 

Previously available for 

$34,990 in entry-level Sport 

guise and $40,790 for the 

Luxury model, the 2013 

CR-Z is now available in one 

model grade only, priced at $38,490 for 

the manual and $40,790 for the CVT. 

As previously reported, Honda has 

upped the sporting credentials of the 

CR-Z by adding a Plus Sport (S+) button 

that gives the driver the option of a surge 

in acceleration for up to 10 seconds. 

This can only be achieved if the 

battery is at least 50 per cent charged, 

and can be engaged while in economy, 

normal or sport driving mode. 


HONDA UNVEILS SELF-BRAKING JAZZ 

BUT HAS NO PLANS FOR OZ: CLICK HERE 

Special Thanks to our 

Keynote Speaker: 

Dale McCauley 

Partner 

Deloitte Motor Industry Services 

pentanasolutions.com - The largest and fastest growing DMS



Extra E-Class value 

Mercedes packs in more 

gear, holds entry to $80K 

with new series due June 


MERCEDES-BENZ will increase 

standard equipment levels and maintain 

the $79,900 (plus on-road costs) entry 

price of its facelifted E-Class range when 

it hits Australian showrooms in June. 

The German luxury brand has also 

lowered the price of several E-Class 

variants by up to $2400, although the 

E250 sedan is up $2900 and the flagship 

E63 AMG costs $9415 more. 

New standard features on the entrylevel 

E200 sedan comprise self-parking, 

auto-dimming and folding door mirrors, 

blind-spot monitoring, autonomous 

emergency braking and partial LED 

headlights. 

Benz has also added a sporty 

Avantgarde styling package to go with 

the now standard Sports Package that 

includes 18-inch alloy wheels. 

The E200’s new 2.0-litre four-cylinder 

turbo-petrol engine produces an extra 

PRICING: 

E200 (a) $79,900 

E220 CDI (a) $82,400 

E200 wagon (a) $86,900 

E250 (a) $97,400 

E250 CDI (a) $99,900 

E250 CDI wagon (a) $107,700 

E300 Hybrid (a) $109,900 

E400 (a) $129,900 

E400 wagon (a) $137,700 

E63 AMG (a) $249,900 

30Nm of torque over the old 1.8 but 

produces the same power, bringing total 

output to 135kW and 300Nm while now 

meeting Euro 6 emissions standards. 

Identical equipment and styling 

upgrades have been applied to the 

E220 CDI turbo-diesel, which becomes 

$2400 less expensive at $82,400 – 

which Mercedes claims adds up to 

about $10,000 of value. 

In return for the $2900 price hike of 

the now $97,400 E250 petrol, Mercedes 

says it has increased value by $15,000 

with extra equipment over and above 

that added to the E200 and E220 CDI. 

Headlining the extras is a driver 

assistance package including adaptive 

cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, 

lane-keeping assistance and 

autonomous emergency braking that 

can cope with pedestrians and crosstraffic 

at intersections. 

Other additions include synthetic 

leather dashboard trim, full LED 

headlights, keyless start, memory 

function for the front seats and 19-inch 

alloy wheels. 


The Paperless off ce solution that gets you organised. 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 20 

The E250’s new 155kW/350Nm 

2.0-litre engine is 5kW and 40Nm more 

potent than the outgoing model. 

Meanwhile, the diesel-powered 

E250 CDI gains the same equipment 

upgrades and comes in at $99,900 due 

to a $1105 price cut claimed to increase 

value by $18,000. 

At $109,900 the diesel-electric E300 

Hybrid is $26,585 less expensive than 

the six-cylinder E350 CDI it replaces, 

comes with the same level of technology 

as the E250 twins and sets a segment 

fuel use benchmark at 4.3 litres per 100 

kilometres. 


VW PASSAT DIESEL UPGRADE BOOSTS 

POWER AND ECONOMY: CLICK HERE 

NortherN Motor group – Tony White Group 

“ organiseit is a quick and easy, hassle-free 

document management database; no more 

lost paperwork or contracts gone missing. 

Support from the OIT team is immediate.” 

Deb Thomas, Northern Motor Group 

Are you reAdy to organiseit ? 

For a presentation please call Mark Degenhardt on 0412 847 172 or 02 9262 7357. Email: mark@organiseit.com.au www.organiseit.com.au



POSITIONS VACANT 

We have multiple positions available across Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. 

• General Sales Manager 

• New Car Sales Manager 

• Fleet Sales Manager 

• Service Manager 

SYDNEY 

CANBERRA 

BRISBANE 


Mark Palmay 

NSW/ACT 0406 996 894 

Jessica Goodman 

NSW 0422 101 604 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 21 

Commodore outside top 10 

Holden icon slips further 

in March as Pulsar, other 

imports dominate market 

By BARRY PARK 

HOLDEN’S Commodore has fallen off 

the shortlist of Australia’s top-selling 

cars for the first time in the brand’s 34year 

history, bumped by a reborn small 

hatchback from Japan. 

VFACTS figures released last week for 

the month of March show the monthsold 

Nissan Pulsar narrowly outsold the 

once-dominant Commodore, forcing the 

iconic Australian large family car into 

11th spot on the charts. 

The Mazda3 small car remains the 

darling of the market, selling almost 

3800 units in March to cement it in the 

running as Australia’s favourite car. 

Overall, the market tread water last 

month, selling 97,400 vehicles – 216 

Top 10 Brands in March 

Pos Brand Sales % Share 

1 Toyota 18,653 19.2 

2 Mazda 9112 9.4 

3 Nissan 8408 8.6 

4 Hyundai 8402 8.6 

5 Holden 8283 8.5 

6 Ford 6434 6.6 

7 Mitsubishi 5147 5.3 

8 VW 4299 4.4 

9 Subaru 4219 4.3 

10 Honda 3897 4.0 

Source: VFACTS, April 2013 

fewer than the same month last year. 

However, more buyers visited new-car 

showrooms than in February, with sales 

volumes bumping by almost five per cent. 

Buyers tended to flock to one side 

of the showroom more than the other, 

according to data released 

by the Federal Chamber of 

Automotive Industries. 

Passenger car sales fell by 

almost five per cent in March compared 

to February, after more buyers preferred 

to wander over and kick the tyres on 

SUVs, sales of which rose by more than 

six per cent. 

These SUV sales were helped by the 

introduction of Toyota’s all-new RAV4, 

which narrowly fell outside the top 10 

best sellers for the month, and a blinding 

month of sales for Mazda’s compact 

CX-5, with 1830 units delivered. 

Overall, the market is five per cent 

ahead of where it was this time last 

year, with the FCAI predicting that if 

momentum continues sales for 2013 are 

likely hit a record 1.12 million. 

Toyota remains the top-selling 

• New & Used Car Sales Consultant 

• Aftermarket Car Care Consultant 

• Stock Controller 

• Service Advisor 

Commodore 

marque in Australia, capturing a 19.2 

per cent share of the market in March 

with 18,653 new registrations. 

Mazda has again displaced Holden 

in second place on the leader’s board, 

snaring a 9.4 per cent share with 9112 

sales compared with the lion 

VFACTS brand’s 8.5 per cent and 8283 

WRAP sales – a total that saw it slip to 

fifth place for the month behind 

not just Mazda but Nissan (8408) and 

Hyundai (8402) as well. 

Ford finished in sixth place on 

6434, ahead of Mitsubishi (5147), 

Volkswagen (4299), Subaru (4219) and 

Honda (3897). 

Large-car sales continued to slide, 

with Ford’s Falcon losing almost 35 per 

cent of sales for the month compared 

with February to peg only 831 units. 

That means it is now outsold by the likes 

of Jeep’s Grand Cherokee off-roader, 

Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class luxury car, 

and the Volkswagen Tiguan soft-roader. 


NZ car market ‘surprises’ – next page 

Bobi Petkovski 

NSW/ACT 0412 687 063 

Ron Grant 

QLD 0435 741 002 

www.automotivestaff.com.au 33520



NZ car market ‘surprises’ 

Sales growth higher than 

expected despite drought 

concerns and other issues 

By JACQUI MADELIN 

in NEW ZEALAND 

NEW Zealand new-vehicle sales have 

continued their strong start to the year, 

up 11.5 per cent in March compared to 

last year, while quarterly sales grew by 

9.6 per cent. 

Statistics from the Motor Industry 

Association show New Zealand’s 

dealers sold 9505 new vehicles last 

month compared to 8528 in March 2012. 

Commercial vehicle registrations of 

2705 were up 33.3 per cent, the highest 

March volume in 28 years. The strong 

March result helped propel sales for the 

first three months to 26,744 units. 

Toyota was again the market leader 

with 5246 sales year to date (including 

1845 in March), an increase of 12.6 per 

cent and enough to claim 19.6 per cent 

of total market share. 

Toyota New Zealand CEO Alistair 


Apr 10, 2013 Page 22 

Pick-up trucks behind US market ‘pick-me-up’ as first-quarter sales climb 6.3 per cent 

By BARRY PARK 

BIG utilities have made for a big jump 

in US new-vehicle sales, with the latest 

sales data showing buyers are flocking 

back to showrooms. 

The 6.3 per cent first-quarter jump 

in sales was led largely by the light 

truck segment, with US-based carmakers 

including Ford, Chrysler and 

General Motors picking up the most 

Automotive New Markets INItIatIVe 

APPLiCAtioNS NoW oPeN FoR RouND 2 oF tHe Automotive 

NeW mARKetS PRoGRAm (ANmP) 

the aNMP is a $30 million grants program that will assist automotive supply chain companies develop new opportunities domestically 

and internationally. the aNMP is a four year program under the automotive New Markets Initiative. 

applications for round 2 must be submitted by 19 April 2013. 

Davis said the overall market result was 

higher than expected. 

“It’s surprised us that the market is 

going so strongly given concerns about 

the drought and such strong growth in 

2012,” he said. 

“But the economic results from 

December quarter, when the economy 

grew 1.5 per cent in one quarter, meant we 

entered the year with more momentum 

than expected. GDP numbers from 

December indicate almost every sector 

is doing quite well and that’s carried 

through into car sales.” 


buyers’ attention. 

More than 1.4 million light vehicles 

were sold in the US in March, bringing 

the total for the first three months of 

the year up to more than 3.6 million, 

up from almost 3.5 million for the same 

period last year. 

While the numbers look good, only 

two of the big three US car-makers 

grew market share in March. Chrysler 

did the best, lifting its sales by 9.7 per 

cent compared with February, while 

Ford was able to bump its sales by 7.2 

per cent over the previous month. 


Information on how to apply, the Program Guidelines and application form are available at: www.innovation.gov.au/anmp. 

For enquiries about the aNMP please email anmp@innovation.gov.au or call +61 2 6276 1141. 

NZ SALES 

WRAP 

NZ Top 10 Brands in March 

Pos Brand Sales % Share 

1 Toyota 1845 19.4 

2 Ford 928 9.8 

3 Holden 904 9.5 

4 Nissan 775 8.2 

5 Mitsubishi 676 7.1 

6 Mazda 604 6.4 

7 Hyundai 561 5.9 

8 Suzuki 506 5.3 

9 VW 419 4.4 

10 Kia 257 2.7 

Source: NZ MIA, April 2013



MOTORCYCLE SALES MANAGER WANTED 


‘Supercapitalism’ threat 

VACC urges government 

action in order to protect 

small business operators 

By IAN PORTER 

AUSTRALIAN governments will have 

to intervene if the country’s crucial 

foundation of small business is to 

survive cost-down pressures that come 

with the new wave of “supercapitalism”, 

according to a leading automotive 

industry spokesman. 

According to executive director of 

the Victorian Automobile Chamber of 

Commerce (VACC), David Purchase, 

big companies are increasingly 

transferring the competitive pressures 

they come under down to their 

smaller, weaker suppliers which are 

less able to cope. 

Mr Purchase told the recent 

VACC President’s Dinner that, 

as tariff barriers and other 

restrictions have fallen in 

the cause of the free market, 

companies have had to get big 

in order to survive on what is a 

world stage. 

“Large companies have become 

more competitive, global, innovative 

and aggressive, often a law unto 

themselves,” he said. 

Mr Purchase said the result has been 

“supercapitalism” and the increased 

aggression that comes with it has, in turn, 

led to claims that the big companies are 

treating the small companies unfairly. 

“Many small businesses, be they 

David Purchase 

KOGARAH/SUTHERLAND AREA 

suppliers to supermarkets, newsagents, 

independent service stations, new car 

dealers or motor vehicle crash repairers, 

are claiming that those big businesses 

with whom they deal are, increasingly, 

treating them unfairly and, in some 

instances, unconscionably,” he said. 

The result, according to Mr Purchase, 

is many small businesses being squeezed 

out of business and, with them, 

many job opportunities. 

At present, the two million 

small businesses in Australia 

employ nearly five million 

people. Ninety-five per cent of 

those businesses employ less 

than 20 people. 

“If we don’t want to lose these 

employment opportunities, if we want 

to retain our strip shopping centres, if 

we want to prevent the unnecessary 

demise of many of our small businesses, 

what should we do?” he asked. 

Mr Purchase said one driver behind 

the increased aggression of the large 

companies was the move away from 

what is good for the country to what is 

good for the consumer and the investor. 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 23 

Sydney City Motorcycles, Sydney’s largest retailer of motorcycles is looking for an experienced Sales Manager for its Kogarah dealership. 

This is a rare opportunity to join our team as the current Manager has been in the role for 

6 years. As the premier Kawasaki, Yamaha & Suzuki Dealership for the Kogarah/Sutherland 

area, we are seeking an experienced person who has a history of high-achievement. 

You will display strong communication skills and it is essential that you provide leadership, 

training and direction for the Sales Team. You will thrive on working in a busy dealership, 

providing market leadership & customer service. Ideally, you will come from a motor 

industry background with a passion for motorcycling. 

SCM provides family friendly hours with an 11 day fortnight and there is no Sunday trading. 

“Large companies have had to 

reduce costs, which is often easier than 

increasing revenue, and one way they 

reduce costs is by squeezing their small 

business suppliers, requiring them to do 

more and more for less and less.” 

Mr Purchase said he rejected the free 

market mantra that it should be left to 

the market to resolve. 

“I believe what we need is responsible 

market intervention by governments. 

“This is the only way many otherwise 

viable small businesses will survive.” 

That, in turn, would preserve 

employment opportunities and other 

societal benefits, he said. 


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GoAuto InBrief 

Twin’Z treat 

New electric Renault concept points to next Twingo 


A PREVIEW of what the next Renault 

Twingo city car might look like comes 

in the shape of the French car-maker’s 

latest concept, the Twin’Z. 

Rather than a motor show reveal, 

Renault used the annual Salone 

Internazionale del Mobile di Milano 

(Milan Furniture Fair) and the company 

enlisted British industrial designer Ross 

Lovegrove for the interior and some 

exterior finishing touches. 

The fifth of six concepts in 

Renault’s human lifecycle design 

theme, the Twin’Z represents ‘play’, 

following the 2010 DeZir concept 

that represented love at first sight, 

the Captur (exploring the world as 

a couple), the R-Space (starting a 

family) and Friendzy (work). 

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Phone: (03) 9879 6833 

Mobile: 0419 357 484 

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A rear-mounted electric motor and 

battery pack located beneath the floor 

enable a long 2495mm wheelbase 

within the car’s compact 3267mm 

length, pushing the 18-inch wheels out 

to the vehicle’s extremities. 

Renault says the layout “frees up 

exceptional cabin space and delivers 

high quality handling that makes it a 

delight to drive”. 

The wheels, penned by Mr 

Lovegrove, feature green spokes 

reminiscent of tree branches – the 

designer is known for his organicinspired 

creations – and are wrapped in 

special Michelin tyres with patterned 

sidewalls that give the impression they 

are part of the rim itself. 



Apr 10, 2013 Page 24 

GoAuto’s latest car review www.GoAuto.com.au 

Volvo V40 T5 R-Design 

FERRARI EXPANDS IN SA 

SOUTH Australian Ferrari owners 

have a new city location to get their 

Prancing Horses maintained. 

Former Adelaide-based Ferrari 

dealership Prestige Formula lost the 

sales operation in November 2011 

and ceased to be an authorised Ferrari 

service centre last year. Instead, owners 

will now need to take their charges to 

the new Ferrari Adelaide service centre 

within the Adelaide Motors facility on 

West Terrace. 


WAVERLEY BMW OPENS 

BMW has expanded its retail network 

in Australia to 43 dealerships with the 

opening last week of Waverley BMW in 

Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. 

BMW Group Australia managing 

director Phil Horton said the German 

luxury brand’s sales growth in Australia 

required it to increase its dealer footprint. 

“Being the leading luxury car 

manufacturer, globally and locally, is 

about much more than how many cars 

we sell,” he said. 

“Customer satisfaction is the number 

one priority for us, and our new 

partnership with the Melbourne-based 

and well-established Jowett Motor 

Group will help us achieve that.” 

LATEST RECALLS 

► SUBARU IMPREZA, XV, FORESTER 

► TOYOTA FJ CRUISER 

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In the increasingly crowded premium hot hatch market, it pays to have 

a point of difference. Volvo separates its new V40 T5 R-Design from the 

herd with a warbling turbocharged five-cylinder engine once shared 

with Ford, and boy how Swede it is. But the circa $50K pricetag puts it 

in line with the rival BMW 125i and Mercedes-Benz A250 Sport – both 

of which offer superb dynamics and tempting badge cache. 

FULL STORY: CLICK HERE


GoAuto Market Insight 

GoAuto Market Insight – brought 

to you by Dealer Solutions 

Citroen aims higher 

New team behind French 

brand aims to bring sales 

to 2007 mark, for starters 


NEW Citroen Australia importer Sime 

Darby has an eye on returning the 

brand to its Australian sales highs of 

2007, as well as relaunching a trio of 

premium DS models. 

The ball will start to roll with the 

arrival of the new soft-top DS3 hatch 

in July, which is also expected to afford 

the company the chance to promote its 

fashion-focused sub-brand in its entirety. 

That, plus several new or facelifted 

versions of its mainstream C-line 

models due over the next 18 months, will 

give the niche brand the ammunition to 

chase its target of returning to where it 

was five years ago Down Under. 

At the media launch of the C4 

Aircross compact SUV last week, 

Citroen Automobiles Australia general 

manager John Startari said he hoped for 

a 35 per cent increase in sales for the 

2013-14 financial year. 

Citroen recorded overall sales of 

1702 vehicles in Australia for the 2012 

calendar year, and while the company 

has not projected sales beyond 2014, 

Mr Startari said he hoped continued 

growth would mean bettering the 3803 

sales it recorded in 2007. 

“We haven’t put out any long-term 

figures but it would be nice to exceed 

the previous highs of 2007, that’s pretty 

much the goal for us but we are not 

going to compromise (our) strategy. 

Sales 

4000 

3500 

3000 

2500 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

“We want to sell the right number of 

cars with the right package. We are not 

under volume pressure to push cars out 

the door and we want to get it right,” 

he said. 

Mr Startari said Citroen would 

increase promotion and advertising for 

the C-line and DS range, but that the 

strategy was still being finalised. 

“It will involve a lot more mainstream 

(advertising) than what you have seen in 

the past but there will be a lot of targeted 

campaigns, especially with DS,” he said. 

The launch of the DS3 Cabrio in July 

will give Citroen the chance to promote 

its entire DS range which includes the 

DS4 hatch and C5-based DS5 flagship. 

Mr Startari said the company had 

found prospective buyers were unsure 

of some of the models in the DS range, 

with the DS5 the most misunderstood 

of the three. 

“The DS5 is unique. Just in terms of its 

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Means Performance. 

Citroen sales in Australia 2002-2012 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 25 

Source: VFACTS 

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 

Inventory & Photo Distribution 

size and styling, we are carving out a new 

segment. It is very different,” he said. 

“That’s the beauty of the DS product, 

other than DS3 which you could probably 

name a few competitors, but DS4 is really 

on its own and it’s a car that’s not that 

well understood, so it’s important that we 

communicate what that car is about.” 

Despite Citroen’s parent company 

PSA recording a €4.7 billion ($A6.2b) 

loss in 2012, Mr Startari said he was 

not concerned about the European 

giant’s financial situation. 

“Every discussion we have had has 

been purely on business grounds and there 

has never been any restraints on requests 

for support for things like marketing 

activity, so as far as we are concerned 

as an independent distributor, it doesn’t 

affect this country so it doesn’t affect us.” 


C4 Picasso uncovered – page 28 

Putting you in control. Contact Dealer Solutions today. 1300 66 11 33 

www.dealersolutions.com.au


GoAuto Green 

Green issues in the auto world 

GoAuto Green – brought 

to you by Titan DMS 

World’s fastest EV 

New Detroit Electric SP:01 

Lotus-based sportscar hits 

legal limit in 3.7 seconds! 


REBORN American car-maker Detroit 

Electric will pick up where fellow US 

company Tesla left off when it releases 

the SP:01 sportscar in August. 

The company’s first model in more 

than 70 years will be a curvaceous 

two-door, based on the Lotus Exige/ 

Elise and primed to take the reins as the 

world’s fastest electric road car. 

The SP:01 will in many ways be the 

spiritual successor to the discontinued 

Tesla Roadster that also used Lotus 

underpinnings. 

Also like the Tesla, production will 

be capped, with 999 SPs to be produced 

for an array of global markets. 

Pricing will start from $US135,000, 

but Australia appears to be off the radar 

at this stage. 

In another parallel to Tesla, the 

SP:01 will be just the first model 

produced by Detroit Electric, with 

the company promising to have two 

other performance EV model lines in 

production in 2014. 

Full SP:01 details were announced 

last week, and make for impressive 

reading. A zero to 100km/h sprint time 

of 3.7 seconds (matching the departed 

Tesla), a 249km/h top speed and a 

range between recharges in excess of 

300km under controlled conditions. 

Propulsion comes from a 

150kW/216Nm electric motor powered 

by a 37kWh battery pack. The battery 

also has bi-directional charge, allowing 

it to feed power back into the power 

source, enabling it to function as a kind 

of backup household generator. 

Drivers can select one of four gear 

ratios for optimal acceleration – most 

EVs are single-speed – but unlike the 

manual shift in a conventional car, the 

company says there is little need to 

change gear regularly. 

Thanks to the aluminium platform – 

developed over five years – and carbonfibre 

bodywork, weight has been kept 

down to just 1067kg. 

The company has fitted “specialised 

FISKER AUTOMOTIVE SLASHES 

MAJORITY OF WORKFORCE: CLICK HERE 


Apr 10, 2013 Page 26 

performance-tuned” suspension, 

steering and brake systems to provide 

claimed class-leading ride and handling. 

The timing of Detroit Electric’s 

revival is interesting, considering the 

state of play of fellow notable US-based 

EV manufacturers Fisker and Tesla. 

Last week, embattled brand Fisker 

laid-off around three-quarters of its 

workforce, while Tesla is under fire after 

reports that it had encouraged customers 

to pay up-front for cars that had not yet 

been built so it could turn a profit for the 

first time in its 10-year history. 


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BENDERS TO LEAD MAZDA AUSTRALIA AS DICKSON PREPARES TO RETIRE 

By TERRY MARTIN 

LONG-SERVING senior Mazda 

executive Martin Benders has returned to 

Australia to take up the role of managing 

director as Doug Dickson prepares to 

retire after 35 years with the company. 

Most recently vice-president of 

sales for Mazda Motor Europe, Mr 

Benders will officially take up the role 

at Australia’s leading full-line motor 

vehicle importer, and now the seemingly 

entrenched second biggest-selling brand 

Apr 10, 2013 Page 27 

on the Australian 

the company’s 

market, on May 1. 

first non-Japanese 

The move marks 

managing director 

a continuation of 

who was moving 

the Japanese brand’s 

to an international 

successful strategy 

post at Mazda Motor 

of placing Australian 

Corporation (MMC) 

Martin Benders 

executives at the head 

of its operations here. 

Doug Dickson 

headquarters 

Hiroshima 

in 

after 

Mr Dickson has guided Mazda 

Australia for the past nine years, having 

seven years at the helm. 

taken over from Malcolm Gough, FULL STORY: CLICK HERE 

NZ BOSS TO RUN SIME DARBY IN AUSTRALIA AS DOMMERSON MOVES ON 


and JOHN MELLOR 

SIME Darby Motor Group Australia 

managing director Rob Dommerson 

will leave the company this week 

after 12 years at the helm of the motor 

vehicle distributor responsible for 

Peugeot and, since February, Citroen. 

In a statement released last Thursday, 

the company said Mr Dommerson, 

who is also on the board of the Federal 

Chamber of Automotive Industries, 

NEW SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM TAKES SHAPE AT FERRARI AUSTRALASIA 


FERRARI’S new factory operation 

in Australia and New Zealand, Ferrari 

Australasia, officially took over from 

European Automotive Imports last 

week. 

Under newly appointed chief 

executive Herbert Appleroth, who will 

continue to run the Italian supercar 

marque’s Japanese subsidiary, is a new 

team managing the Australian and New 

Zealand markets. 

These include sales manager Paolo 

Ferrari, who was previously regional 

Rob 

Dommerson 

would leave his role 

on April 12 and that he 

“intends to continue his 

career in the industry”. 

He told GoAuto he 

was now looking for a 

new challenge within 

the car industry. 

Meanwhile, the 

managing director 

of Sime Darby’s operations in New 

Zealand, Pat McKenna, will assume 

business manager for Ferrari Asia 

Pacific (overseeing seven markets 

within the region), and marketing 

manager Narine Salmasi, who for 

the past four years was responsible 

for marketing and public relations at 

Jaguar Australia. 

Also on the team is aftersales manager 

Geoff Wright, who most recently 

worked as aftersales technical manager 

for Bentley Motors (responsible for 

South-East Asia and the Australasia 

region), finance manager Ronnie Heng, 

who previously worked for a funds 

responsibility for the 

Australian operations. 

Mr Dommerson 

told GoAuto that head 

office had questioned 

the need for two 

Pat McKenna 

managing directors in 

Australasia and that it 

was decided to merge 

the two roles into one. 


management company, and logistics 

manager Prue Robertson, who moves 

from a pharmaceutical/FMCG logistics 

and supply role. 

The office manager is Sarah 

Deer, who has automotive industry 

experience and spent the past two years 

in a similar role in the UK. 

Team Ferrari Australasia 

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Australia sticks with ‘Grand’ plan for Citroen Picasso 


CITROEN released official images of 

its new-generation C4 Picasso compact 

people-mover last week. 

The images reveal a production car 

virtually identical to the Technospace 

concept that was unveiled at the 

Geneva motor show in February, with 

everything down to the wheel covers 

remaining faithful to the concept. 

Citroen Automobiles Australia 

general manager John Startari has 

confirmed that the C4 Picasso is not 

on the agenda for Australia, with the 

company preferring instead to wait for 

the next-generation Grand Picasso. 

“We will only be taking the sevenseater,” 

he said. “We will wait for the 

Grand Picasso which will be sometime 

next year.” 

The C4 Picasso is the first vehicle 

to be built on the PSA group’s new 

‘Efficient Modular Platform 2’ (EMP2), 

with the upcoming 308 from sister 

brand Peugeot the next cab off the rank. 

The French car-maker’s iconic 

chevrons dominate the front of the C4 

Picasso before flowing around to LED 

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Apr 10, 2013 Page 28 

Audi is all fired up for the imminent launch of its 

230kW/650Nm 3.0-litre bi-turbo V6 TDI diesel SQ5 

performance SUV. 

daytime running lights separated from 

the main headlights, while the front 

bumper houses the vehicle’s foglights. 

Tail-lights, similar in design to those 

of the current-generation Volkswagen 

Golf but said to be inspired by Citroen 

concept cars, create a 3D-like effect. 

Citroen has included C-shaped chrome 

outlines around the front and rear 

windows, which the French car-maker 

says “adds personality to the side profile”. 

The cabin of the C4 Picasso features a 

“loft style” high-roof cabin, panoramic 

windscreen and a large glass roof. 

Despite the car’s smaller dimensions 

compared with the previous generation, 

interior space has increased. 

Citroen claims class-leading boot 

space of 537 litres – a 40-litre increase 

over the previous model – and 630 

litres with the rear seats down. 

A pair of screens dominates the 

centre stack, including a seven-inch 

touchpad that controls air-conditioning, 

sat-nav and audio, and a 12-inch highdefinition 

screen displays driving 

information. It can be configured to 

include a personal photo as a backdrop. 

A ‘Lounge Pack’ is available that 

includes front massage seats, a special 

headrest on each seat giving more neck 

support, and a “relax” seat that allows the 

front passengers to stretch their legs. 

FULL NEW CAR DIARY: CLICK HERE 

Price cuts, extra gear 

for Peugeot SUVs 

By DANIEL GARDNER 

PEUGEOT is hoping to bag a bigger 

share of the booming Australian 

SUV market by slashing prices of 

its Mitsubishi-based 4007 and 4008 

models. 

For a limited time, the 4007 SV 

seven-seater (based on the superseded 

Mitsubishi Outlander) sneaks in 

under the $40,000 mark and, for the 

first time since its launch last year, the 

smaller ASX-based 4008 is available 

for less than $30,000. 

The 4007 SV now comes with 

metallic paint and 18-inch alloy 

wheels as standard – options that 

would have previously cost an 

additional $1300. 

The added no-cost options and 

new driveaway pricing represent a 

claimed $7000 saving over previous 

4007 pricing. 

Meantime, the 4008 2WD automatic 

is now $29,990 driveaway, a saving of 

around $6000 all things considered. 


FULL STORY: CLICK HERE 4007

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